Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how much funding has been spent to date from the up to £6 million commitment for Armed Forces Champions which was made in 2019.

The planned additional recruitment to increase the number of Armed Forces Champions in April 2020 was paused due to the Department’s top priority during the pandemic being to focus on processing claims and paying people quickly, while supporting all those using Jobcentre Plus services. Due to the action we took, Universal Credit stood up to the test, providing a vital safety net for millions.

Just as we delivered for them, we are determined to deliver for veterans which is why the Department has now introduced a new Armed Forces Champions model. The new model will comprise of 50 Armed Forces Champions alongside 11 Group Leads at managerial level.

It means there will be at least one Armed Forces champion in each Jobcentre Plus district and for the first time they will provide help directly to veterans and others where additional support is needed.

Resources in the new network are targeted where there are particularly high levels of demand, for example in garrison towns, and here the Armed Forces work will form a significant part of that done in individual Jobcentres.

Officials in the Department have discussed the new model with a number of Armed Forces stakeholders, and so far it has been very well received.

In addition to the Armed Forces Champions roles, all 27,000 Department Work Coaches are trained to provide veterans and others with the help and support they need.

Our support to help veterans into jobs is unwavering with 84 per cent gaining employment within 6 months of discharge – higher than the employment rate of the wider population.